NETZERO - CARBON NEUTRAL LIVING IN BRNO

FAST VUT - Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Department of Architecture

Project idea

The thesis develops a part of the city block designed in the previous pre-diploma project. The theme of the thesis is set in the western part of Brno, in the urban area of Bosonohy, on an existing brownfield and a territorial reserve on the northern bank of Jihlavská Street.

The development of the part of the city block, addressed in the diploma thesis, is composed of 3x apartment buildings. In which there is a combination of rental housing and a form combining housing and work, the so-called "work and live". The ground floors of the apartment buildings are supplemented with retail units.

From a structural point of view, the buildings are of a hybrid load-bearing construction, combining reinforced concrete in the basement, ground floor and stair cores, with CLT timber wall systems in the upper floors of each building. The façades of the buildings consist of a ventilated façade system, with mineral wool insulation; the visual layer consists in two cases of wooden cladding combining larch and burnt wood, in one case of face masonry.

Operationally, the individual buildings are designed as staircase apartment buildings, so the apartment units are situated around a central staircase.

The buildings use modern energy systems such as air recuperation, waste heat recovery from water, ground-to-water heat pump and photovoltaic power plant. The management of rainwater, which is used for irrigation, and grey water, which is filtered and used for flushing, is also addressed.

Project description

The subject of the diploma thesis is the design of buildings, building on the previous urban study, prepared as part of the pre-diploma project in the last semester. With regard to the environment, increasing global warming and climate change, the design of the buildings and the site as a whole applies practices and principles that limit the environmental impact, the ambition of the design is to achieve a zero carbon footprint throughout the life cycle of the building.

Following on from the pre-design, 3 buildings in the southern part of the urban block, adjacent to the proposed new square in the north-western part of the urban study area, were selected for development as this is a lucrative location, given its location to the square. Two of the selected buildings will be internal modules of the urban block, one building is a corner building with its frontage facing the square.

The corner building, facing the square, is elevated in height compared to the other two proposed buildings. It thus stands out against the surrounding development and becomes a landmark in the locality as it points to an important location in the area - the square. It is therefore also a landmark.

The main function of the buildings is housing, both normal urban housing and work and live housing, which is specific in that it is directly connected to a commercial unit, suitable, for example, for office or artistic activities. The functional content of the corner building is complemented by retail space. The proposed buildings are connected to a central collective garage, common to the whole block. The roof of these garages is hidden under the park that fills the inner block.

Technical information

Architecture

The complex consists of three separate buildings, two of which are identical and located in the inner part of the block. The third building, the corner building, differs in its form, colour and above all in its height, which defines it in relation to its surroundings. The buildings are set at different levels of the ground floor, which responds to the modelling of the terrain while maintaining a functional scale for the view of passers-by along the urban street. A common element of all three buildings is the active parterre, which is materially distinct from the rest of the building and forms a platform on which a mass filled with private spaces is placed.

The expressive concept is influenced by the 4x4 module, which is reflected in the overall appearance of each building, as modularity is one of the key ideas of the design. The modular expression of the building is evident on the entire south and east facades of the buildings, which is dynamized by the regular alternation of balconies and loggias. These are offset by 1 module on successive floors, creating an interesting play of light and shadow on the south façade. The dynamism of the façade is supported by the alternation of the two materials used on the south façade - larch wood cladding and its counterpart with the same base - burnt wood. This expression is enhanced by laying the timber structure on a solid base - a parterre with a raw concrete expression. At the same time, the mass of the building is enhanced by the receding floor on which the communal living terrace is located.

The corner building is designed similarly, but differently. It is 3 storeys higher than the two buildings in the inner part of the wing, which makes it dominate the square and becomes an important landmark in the area. Its façade is composed of individual modules. To support its verticality, these modules are aligned regularly above each other, connected by pilasters that enhance the height of the building. The façade of this building is designed in the form of cheeks, which are a dignified material for a building set in an important space, the square.

The entrances to the individual houses are recessed into the ground floor, creating a natural lee for easy and convenient access to the buildings. The inner block is conceived differently in terms of material and material design. Dynamic modularity is replaced by simplicity and austerity, creating a pleasant environment for residents spending time in the courtyard, which is not disturbing in any way. The facades of the courtyard are simply clad in larch wood, divided at floor level by a strip of fibre concrete cladding. The corner building is designed in a similar way, but the larch cladding is replaced by face brickwork, as on the south and east elevations.

The courtyard itself is designed as a private space. It is conceived in the form of an oasis in the middle of the city where the inhabitants of the adjacent houses can rest. The inner courtyard is full of trees, shrubs and grasses, in the centre of the courtyard there is an accumulation pond which can increase its volume in the central green area of the courtyard. The inner courtyard is interspersed with clay paths, a wooden footbridge crosses the pond. Along the perimeter of the courtyard there are front gardens of apartments on adjacent floors, which are separated from the common areas by green belts.

Layout design

The building consists of several functional units, the main purpose of which is housing. The entrance to the building is covered and is located on the south side, which applies to all buildings. After the entrance, the user has the possibility to proceed by staircase or elevator to the individual floors where the residential units or work and live units are located.

In buildings A and B there are three apartments on each floor - two 3-bedroom and one 2-bedroom. The exception is the sixth floor, where there are two duplex apartments 6+kk and one 2+kk. Building C contains five flats per floor on the second to seventh floors, namely 2+kk and 3+kk flats. There are three flats per floor on the eighth to tenth floors.

The user can also use the premises on the first floor, which are accessible from the staircase area and where there are cellars and a common wheel room. Also connected to the main staircase are the communal garages, which are accessible from both the first floor level and the first underground level, where disabled parking spaces are located.

If the user arrives by car, they can park directly in the communal garages, which are accessed via an entrance ramp in the western part of the block. The individual garage floors are connected by a direct ramp and are connected to the circulation cores of the individual buildings in the block. The technological facilities of the individual buildings are located in the basement.

If the user wants to visit the inner block, he can enter it from the staircase area at the level of the second floor. From a visitor or customer perspective, the functional units of the retail space in Building C or the work and live units in Buildings A and B can be used. These spaces are accessed by a public entrance directly from the city street area (at the café from the square area) and are equipped with facilities, mainly for staff (cloakroom, tea kitchen, toilets). The café is equipped with sanitary facilities for visitors and storage space for the goods on offer.